Strange Desk Ornament

This strange thing was on the desk in our room at the Hotel L'Anglettere in Versailles.

Orangery at Versailles

Here's the Orangery gardens and the open door in the right corner. The gallery we walked along inside is out of shot on the right but looks similar to the part straight ahead but much longer.

Versailles Cat

Lynne stroking the stray cat in the palace gardens.

Sculpture at Versailles

This was a sculpture in the kings garden.

Versailles from the garden

Versailles Main Entrance

Walking up to the main entrance, the gold bits were very shiny so they must have cleaned them recently.

The Castle at Loches

View from the old dungeon.

The Old Church in Loches

View from the castle terrace.

Vegetables at Chenonceaux

Some of the vegetables in the old farm at the chateau.

Flowers in the Old Farm

Some of the flowers in the old farm at Chenonceaux.

Part of the Chateau Kitchen

Lots of copper jelly moulds and pans in the kitchen.

The Long Gallery in the Chateau

The Long Gallery at the chateau in Chenonceaux is the lower floor of the part that stretches over the river.

Day 12 - Chenonceaux and Loches

Got up bright and early to get to the chateau for 9am. They hadn't opened the gates when we got there and there was a couple of dozen people waiting to get in. We decided to go straight to the chateau first and have a look around inside before it became too crowded. The rooms were beautiful with lots of tapestries on the walls. Many of the ceilings were very ornate with carvings and paintwork with one ceiling a complete painting.

It soon became crowded inside but I managed to get some photos of the gallery with no-one at all in it. We found some of the people very disrespectful of the place making lots of noise, eating and using flash on their cameras even though an announcement in several languages not to use flash.

They were doing some work on the outside of the chateau with scaffolding on one corner of the building. They had put a cover over the scaffold which looked just like the chateau beneath.

We walked through the gardens for a while and then to the old farm adjacent to the chateau where they were growing lots of flowers and vegetables. The flowers were beautiful and there weeds me very strange vegetables including giant pumpkins. I remember when I came here with Emma one year I took a photo of her sitting on one of the giant pumpkins.

After the visit to the chateau we were going to visit the troglodyte caves near Loches, but when we got to Loches the weather was so good and the town was so nice we decided to just look around the town. We had a lovely, very cheap, meal at one of the restaurants and then walked up the hill to see the old castle and the dungeons.

We were a bit tired from walking so went back to the hotel for a rest. Because we'd had a good meal at lunchtime we just had a snack in the bar at the hotel in the evening.

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Nice Bum

Here's Lynne checking out the man who went past us to look at the other bit of garden.

Me having a drink

People having dinner at the hotel kept taking photos of each other so Lynne and I thought we'd join in.

Thirsty Pigeon

While we were having a drink in the hotel garden this wood pigeon came down to join us.

River Barrage on the Cher

A bit further down the river was a little barrage and a lock to get boats up and down the river. There were people swimming in the river by the lock an jumping down from the lock Walls I to the water.

The River Cher from near Chenonceaux

When we walked down the river took this photo from a wooden quay.

Day 11 - Onwards to Chenonceaux

It was our longest drive in France from the gite to Chenonceaux and we set off just after 10am to arrive mid afternoon. We'd had the thunderstorms overnight and the sky still looked a bit threatening as we set off so we kept the roof up on the car. As we headed further North the skies got brighter an just after Poitiers we stopped for a drink and put the roof down for the rest of the journey. It was still quite hot at around 25 degrees but much cooler that of late.

I managed to get onto the A85 just before Tours but heading in the wrong direction. At the first direction came off the motorway to turn around but managed to get on the completely wrong road. Turned around again to go back to where I'd turned around before but this time got the right road in the right direction. We had made good time up to that point so managed to arrive at Chenonceaux at the time expected.

Had a quick was and change then set out to get information about the chateaux. It looked to be packed with people so decided to go in the morning as soon as it opened at 9am. We decided to go for a walk down the river instead and found a track that went to the river a little below the Chateau grounds. We walked for a while and then turned around and part of the way back took a different route next to the train track.

After the walk we sat in the hotel gardens for a while and then went to change for dinner. Back in the hotel gardens for dinner we had quite a nice meal but the service was a bit slow and we were servers by many different people, which we don't like. Took a few photos, posting them separately.


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Water Mill on the L'Isle

We went to visit the water mill in the morning but is didn't open until in the afternoon.

Hotel de Ville at Villefranche-de-Lonchat

The town hall was decked out with paper flowers and the workmen were blowing confetti around so I guess there must be at a wedding.

Church outside Villefranche

We walked outside Villefranche and found this old church.

Weigh Station

This is an old weigh station in the middle of Villefranche-de-Lanchat.

It's Barney

Here's Barney, the dog at the gite.

What's this lump of fur in the grass

Days 9 & 10 - Mostly at the gite

The last couple of days at the gite we have been resting because of the heat and getting ready to start the journey back to England. On Monday we went for a bit of a walk around Villefranche-de-Lonchat and then to the supermarket to get the last few provisions for the next couple of days. In the afternoon sat around the pool for a while, then it rained a bit and then it got really hot again so we hid inside.

On Tuesday we went to a place where there was an old water mill, a barge ride and a deer farm. We arrived late morning but the first barge ride wasn't until 13:30 and the water mill didn't open until 14:00. Had a walk around and couldn't find any sign of the deer at all. Went back to the gite and got things packed for coming home.

The temperature on Tuesday had cooled a little so was looking to get a better nights sleep because it has been too hot for the last few nights. The temperature has only been dropping to about 25 degrees whereas on Tuesday night it was predicted to drop below 20 degrees. The temperature was lower but we had thunderstorms all night so still not a great nights sleep.

Wednesday we set off for Chenonceaux for a couple of nights so looking forward to that.


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Ready to Pounce

We haven't seen much of the cat at the gite but when we returned from Bordeaux it was curled up asleep in a shady corner next to our gite. When it woke it decided to go hunting for invisible prey. Didn't manage to get a shot of it looking towards me but it has some very blue eyes.

Fountain at Bordeaux

Two girls were cooling down in the fountain which was at the base of the big monument.

Big Monument in Bordeaux

There was a big open area with trees down both sides and at one end was this big monument.

Puddings

Yummy puddings for lunch at the restaurant in Bordeaux. Didn't have much for dinner in the evening after a wonderful, and big, meal.

Bridge Over the Dordogne

This is a very long bridge to span the Dordogne at Bordeaux.

Antiques Market in front of the Church of St. Michel

The Sunday antiques market in Bordeaux.

Antiques Market in Bordeaux

The market was full of rubbish and proper antiques.

Tram Lines near the Grande Hotel

A hot day in Bordeaux.

Antiques Market at Bordeaux

The temperature is forecast to reach 38 degrees today so it's going to be a hot one. We set off fairly early when it was still a bit cool (25 degrees) and headed for the park and ride at Buttiniere. We had information at the gite about it where you park the car and get tram tickets for the day for 3 Euros. We had a bit of confusion getting into the car park but then the young lady at the cashier booth was very nice and gave us our tickets and a map of the tram routes and a timetable for our tram.

The car park was fairly deserted which we thought a bit strange but then the shops and offices won't be open today so it's just us tourists. The tram arrived almost immediately and took us straight to the city centre where the first pharmacie we saw was telling us that it was 33 degrees already. We walked past the closed shops and into a square where there was the Grand Hotel and some statues. All of the buildings were very white and very beautiful and reflected the sunshine, making it very warm everywhere, even in the shade.

We went to the Tourist Information and asked for a map of the city and also where we would find the antiques market. The young girl was very helpful and marked it on the map and also directed us to the tram to take us there. The trams were all over the city which makes it a great place to get around. The tram again arrived almost immediately and took us the three stops to St. Michel near to the market.

The market was in a square around a tower next to the church of St. Michel. Many of the stalls were just people selling any old rubbish but some had some nice things. We bought a little crystal glass cup at one stall and tried to bid down a guy for a very nice decanter but he wouldn't go low enough for us. We had a drink and then headed back up the river bank to find somewhere for lunch.

Lunch was very nice and the staff were quite funny and charming. The waiter especially was a bit of a joker and he left while we were having our food. He had to come and tell us he was going to the beach for the afternoon so we wished him a good day. As he got changed to gomhe removed his work t-shirt and had another one below. He then put on a shirt over that and then a jacket. The temperature must have been almost 40 degrees by now and we just could understand how he could wear so many clothes. I was sweating buckets in just a shirt and shorts.

After lunch we walked around a bit more. Bordeaux is a beautiful city and we will come here again when hopefully it might be a bit cooler and we can explore some more without melting away. Back on the tram and back to the car park. The car was under cover and relatively cool but it got hotter as we went back to the gite. Into the pool and a small amount of sunbathing for me. After the big lunch we're not having much for dinner, maybe just a few crisps and some vino.

More photos to come, maybe in the morning.

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Evening drinks

Finished the gin and tonic and almost finished the first carafe of wine.

Evening Sky from the Gite

The sun is just going down.

View down the river towards the bridge

At Ste. Foy.

The view up River

Just past the scuba diving training at Ste. Foy.

Houses across the River

Houses and a chateau across the river from Ste. Foy.

The Church and Winery across the River

By the river at Ste. Foy La Grande.

Day 8 - Ste. Foy Le Grande Market

Saturday morning we set off to Ste. Foy Le Grande to have a look at the Market, which is one of the biggest in the area. The market covered many if the streets in the centre of the town and also the central square. There was every sort of stall with clothing, fruit and veg., fish, meat and cheese plus lots of strange things. We bought a bit of fruit and vegetables, a couple of red trout and some chicken skewers for the barbecue.

We took the things back to the car and then went for a walk down by the river. Across the river was a lovely big house, a church and a winery. In the river we saw a couple of egrets fishing in the shallows and we could also see lots of big fish swimming about. Further up the river were some boats and there was a place that looked to be giving snorkelling lessons. We had a bit more of a walk around the town and headed back to the gite to swim and sunbathe. It's still very, very hot here at around 35 degrees.

More pictures posted separately.

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The pool from our bedroom window

Lynne having a read before having a swim

Vineyards from our bedroom window

When we returned from the supermarket

The tower behind the sunflowers

From a bit further down the hill

The broken tower above the winery

Here we were walking back down towards the gite

Across the lake to Villefranche-de-Lonchat

This photo was taken from the upper lake.

Across the lake to the beach area

This was before the coach had arrived so there's nothing much on the beach to see

A dead looking vineyard

There were lots of decent looking vines around too.

Day 7 - Lake and Tower de Gurson

It was cloudy again on Friday morning but a little brighter than the day before. The weather forecast was predicting 35 degrees but it was fairly cool when we set off for a walk from the gite. The owners of the gite suggested a walk to the lake would be good. We have driven past it a few times as it is between the gite and Villefranche-de-Lonchat where we fetch the bread and croissants in the morning.

As we walked towards the lake we went past some vineyards where the grapes are black and must be nearly ready for picking. The farmers were harvesting the sweetcorn from the fields to make into cattle feed. At the top of the rise we could see down to the lake and there were cars and vans parked around it. Adjacent to the lake is a campsite which seemed quite busy as we walked past.

At the entrance to the lake we were charged 2.5 Euro to go in, which we thought was a bit expensive but paid up anyway. There was a path around the lake which had some semi derelict play apparatus every so often and there was a lot of dodgy looking picnic tables now and then. We went up a path to find an abandoned riding stables which would have been good for the children.there was a beach area which was quite busy as they had a coach party in. Next to the beach area was a closed water slide and we also saw some pedal boats piled up behind a barn. We guessed that at one time it had been a busy leisure lake which had been left to decay over the years.

As we walked around the lakes (there was a smaller one above the main lake) there were lots of people fishing and camping. The lakes themselves were quite good but the facilities were a bit lacking. We noticed that if we went out of the other entrance we would be near an old fallen down tower that we can see on a hill from the garden of the gite. We decided to have a closer look and when we got there found that it was inside the grounds of a little winery.

The clouds had separated a bit and it was getting hotter but as I was taking some photos of the winery and the tower we started to get big spots of rain on us. As we started to head back to the gite our french neighbours arrived at the winery in their car. By the time we got back to the gite it was very hot but we needed to go straight out again to go to the supermarket for a few more things.

When we got back from the supermarket had a late lunch and spent the rest of the day in and around the pool. A few photos from the walk posted separately.

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The gite from further back

The evening sun is quite bright here.

Our gite int he late sun

Our gite is this corner down to the first big window on the ground floor. The door and onwards is the other gite.

Day 6 - First day at the Gite

Last night went to the local supermarket for provisions and then had dinner at the gite. Overnight we had thunderstorms which must have followed us down from Niort. In the morning it was quite overcast and pleasantly cool after the last couple of days.

We didn't do much today but have a rest, wander about the property and check out the facilities. We had a bit of late sun just before the sun went down and the photos in the next couple of posts are our gite and out French neighbours gite.


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Big Willow next to Pond

From top pond towards lower pond

Pond with Gite Behind

Day 5 - Niort to the Gite

We have wifi at the Gite so that's good. When we were having breakfast at the hotel three bikers from London turned up for a cup of coffee. The hotel owner gave them espresso but they wanted a proper drink so Lynne had to step in to say they wanted cafe grande. It makes a change for us to know more French that someone else so Lynne was very proud of herself. While we were having breakfast there was thunder and lightening coming from the big black clouds to the North but to the South it was still sunny and bright.

After breakfast we got our stuff together and checked out. It was very strange in the car park because we were putting the roof down and covering ourselves with sun tan lotion and the bikers were getting into their waterproofs as they were heading North. We had a laugh, wished them Bon voyage and set off to get onto the A10 towards Bordeaux. We thought it was a hot journey yesterday but today was even hotter.

We made good time again but weren't supposed to arrive at the gite until after 4pm so when we left the motorway we looked for somewhere for a drink, cool down and spend some time looking at the scenery. I suggested one of the little villages on the way to Libourne which is a town where the river Isle meets the Dordogne. It was deserted so we continued to Libourne and parked next to the river junction.


We had a drink at a riverside tapas bar and then went for a walk around the town but we were getting hot again even though we were staying in the shadows. It was quite a nice town with a big central square with arcades around and a paved way to a big circular area with lots of restaurants. We weren't hungry so didn't stop for anything. We went back to the car and sit by the river in the shade to read for a while before continuing on to the gite.

We arrived at the gite and it is wonderful and quiet, in the middle of nowhere surrounded by woods, fields and vineyards. The owners have a house with a barn attached which has been converted into two gites. In the gardens are two ponds and some trees with lots of lawn area. The pool is behind the gites and there is a French couple in the other gite. The owners have a big fluffy puppy and a cat which are both quite friendly.

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Day 4/5 - Leaving Niort

Last night went to the restaurant, all poshed up for my birthday meal, and it was full of truckers. Well, maybe an exaggeration but there were a lot of men on their own reading magazines. There wasn't a massive selection of food but what we had was very good. This is the sky from the restaurant window.




In the morning we have some cloud and the weather forecast for Niort is for thunderstorms later and the temperature 30 degrees C. Where we are going to (Villefranche-de-Lonchat) it is going to be sunny and 33 degrees, so we better set off before it rains.

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